Spark-plug.



A. CLARKE.

SPARK PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1908.

930,35 1 Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

PATENT OFFICE- ALEXANDER cmann or FOLSOEL. WEST vrRjGINIA; ASSIGNOR TO SOUTH PENN OIL GOM- PANY, or .PITTSBURG,.PENHSYEVANIA, A OQEPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

firmware-i U s ecinudfi aor Letters-gases. fj-a'ppncatiphaicdnana19o's. BeflaLNo.436,630.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

To all whom it.

I Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing atlFolsom, in the county of Wetzel-a'nd State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Im ro'vements in S ark Plugs, of which the i0 owing is a speciiiization, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

mvention refers -'to improvements in M sparh plugs forexplosive engines and has for its ob ect to providea simple eflicient device for the urpose of positi'vel making an ignition spar in the ex losive c amber of a gas engine or for any other desired purpose, and-is constructed and o erated 'in the manner hereinafter described:

Referring to jthedrawings, Figure 1 is a view of the device in elevat on, shown in position with relation to the explosion cham er and indicating the actuating circuit and its make-and-break mechanism. Fig. 2' is an end view of the device in Fig. 1. Fig. 3'is a vertical sectionalview .on an enlarged scale indicated by the line III. III. of Fig. 1.. Fig. 4' is a horizontal sectional view indicated by the line IV.'IV. of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a rear view in elevation of the device. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line VI. VI.

of Figf a v 2 represents the shell or casing of the explosion chamber of a as engine or other mechanism ,in the intenor'of which it is desired to produce a sp'arkior combustion of the inclosed gases, into which is inserted by any suitable means, as b. screw threads, the base 3 of my device. 1 is incorporated with the base 3,-said shell being closed at the outer end by an end cover 5bof any suitable insulating material, as

er. I I The base 8 is of some non-ma etic metal and is provided at its inner en with a tapered socket 6 ada ted to form a seat" cavity for theloose mounted ball 7 when the ma ets or co 8, 9, are energized. The sec et .6 is inclosed within outwardly divergm walls, so that in anypositionin which t e device is mounted, the ball 7- will fall by gravityaway from said cavity.

The code 8, 9, of the magnetaremade inany suitable manner means of asuificylindrical shell 4 cient number of turns of suitable insulated wire wound upon spools of insulating'matethe base and extend into and at each side of the cavity 6, as clearly shown in Fig; 3.

Outwardly beyond the cavity 6 is located the contact point 13 of platinum or any suitable conducting material, said point being mounted sufliciently beyond the cavity '6 to permit of a limited amount of free movement of the ball as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 respecti'vely. The contact point 13 is mounted in a conducting arm 14 extending inwardly from the endof a conducting rod 15 passing lon itudinally through base 3, the arm 14 bein eld by nut 16 or any other suitable means. ltod 15 performs the double function of providing a rigid contact point support and also that of a conductorfor the current and is mounted within the base 3 with any suitable insulation, as Washers 17, 18, at each end, and

also if desired an intervening tube ortubes19,

or in any other suitable manner to give the desired results. If preferred, however, the insulation 19 may be omitted, the rod 15 being held centrally within its hole b the end insulations', said hole being sufliclently large to prevent short circuitin y '1 The coils 8, 9, are electrically connected, while one of the coils is connected with the inner end of rod 15 by securing nut 20, the other coil beingvconnected with an outer binding post 21. Said binding post is connected with any source of electric supply as a battery 22, the other terminal being grounded as by connection with the engine frame 2, as shown in F 1 and being provided with any suitab e 'make-and-break mechanism or switch 23 adapted to be operated to ogen or close the circuit by means of any suita 1e connection 24 co-acting wlth the engine itself .to produce the spark at the desired time. l

The operation is as folloWsi-When the circuit is closed b switch 23 and the coils are energized, the ba 7 will be attracted by the term nals 1 ,1712, in the manner of an armaball will fall time by the magnetism set up in the cores, and Wlll be drawn into the receptacle 6 and away from point 13, against which it rests in normal position. The breaking of the circuit from said point through the ball to base 3 will produce the spark, and as soon as the current is a ain broken by contact 23, the back to its original position, again making contact with base 3 and point 13. This operation may be continued as long or as rapidly as is necessary to'produce the desired frequency of s arking, de ending on the mechamsm contro ing the ma re-andbreak mechanism 23.

The advantages resulting from the invention are, that any desired number of sparks per second of great heat intensity are produced with a minimum current consumption the spherical shape of the armature ball results in constant turning and change. of its position, thereby presenting a different surface of contact for )each operation and greatl lengthening the life and. resulting service; a l sprin s are avoided, the device will operate equal y well in any position, and may be inverted vertically, ball down, with the same results.

-The spark plug is wholly self-contained; the coils fornntheir own spark; it is absolutely gastight and well suited to the requirements of gas engine practice, and all formation of carbon on or about the moving elements is avoided.

By reason of the insulation the high tem peratures and pressure encountered in gas engine practice will not affect it. It is capable of the highest efficiency and endurance, due to its construction, the small number of parts, and lightness of the ball 7.

The device is comparatively simple and cheap in construction, not liable to get out of order "and requires little or no attention or adjustment. The invention may be changed or varied by the skilled mechanic in different features of construction or details, but all such changes are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims.

-What' I claim is:

1'. A spark lug consisting of a base having a continuous y annular outwardly flaring tapered socket, a retaining point and a supporting device therefor mounted in the base andjconstituting an electrical conductor, a ball armature loosely mounted in the. socket and normally retained partly within the socket by said point, and means for magnetically attracting the ball away from said contact point into the socket, substantially as set forth.

2. A spark lug consisting of a base having a continuously annular outwardly flaring tapered socket, a retaining point and a supporting device therefor mounted in the base and constituting an electrical conductor, a ball armature loosely mounted in the socket and normally retained partly within the socket by said oint, magnetic coils arranged to attractthe all backwardly from the contact point into the socket, and a circuit connection between said supporting device for said point and said coils, substantially as set forth.

3. A spark plug consisting of a base having a tapered socket, magnetizing coils having their cores terminating at opposite inner sides of said socket, a retaining point located outwardly beyond said socket and electrically connected with said coils, and an armature ball loosely mounted between said socket and point, substantially as set forth.

4. A spark lug consisting of a base having a tapered soc et, magnetizing coils having their cores terminating at opposite inner sides of said socket, a retaining point located outwardly beyond said socket and electrically connected with said coils, by a supporting rod passing through the base, and an armature ball loosely mounted between said socket and oint, 'substantiall as set forth.

5. A spar lug consisting o a base having a tapered soc et, magnetizing coils having their cores terminating at opposite inner sides of said socket, a retaining point located outwardly beyond said socket and electrically connecte with said coils by a supportin rod passing through the base and insu ated therefrom, and an armature ball loosely mounted between said socket and point, substantially as set forth. 1

6. A spark plug consisting of a base having a tapered socket, magnetizing coils having their cores terminating at opposite inner sides of said socket, a retaining point located outwardly beyond said socket and electrically connected with said coils, an armature ball loosely mounted between said socket and point, and an outer inclosing case secured on the base, substantially as set forth.

7. A spark lug consisting of a base having a tapered soc et, magnetizing coils having their cores terminating at opposite inner sides of said socket, a retaining point located outwardly beyond said socket and electricall connected with said coils, an armature ba lloosely mounted between said socket and point, and an outer inclosing case secured on the base provided with an insulating end cap having a binding post, substantial y as set forth.

8. The combination with an explosive engine, of a spark plug consisting of a base extendin into the explosion chamber having a tapered socket and aretainin point,magnet izmg coils extending beyond the base and having their cores arraned at opposite inner sides of said socket, and an armature ball loosely mounted between the socket and tending into the explosion chamber having a l desired operation of the engine, substantially tapere socket and a retainin point, magnetas set forth. 1f izing coils extending beyondt ebase and hav- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature ing theircores arranged at opposite inner sides in presence of two witnesses.

of said socket, and an armature ball loosely i ALEXANDER CLARKE. mounted between the socket and said point, Witnesses: with means for making and breakinga cir- WILLIAM B. CLARKE, cuit through the coils in conformity with the 1 WILLIAM I. KAUFMAN. 

